Pileated Woodpecker (male).
Got up real early, nuked some coffee, grabbed Jack, and headed for Beech Hill.
A little nippy up there, but calm and the sun rose fast. A frost kept the slush fairly solid on the way up through the woods. Birds all over the place, staking out their territories—singing chickadees, singing nuthatches, singing cardinals. Others moving through, e.g., blackbirds (red-wings, grackles, and cowbirds flying over). The shrike hasn’t left yet.
In fact, as I was taking a little video of the shrike near the Beech Hill Road gate, I heard a pileated woodpecker’s cry. Then I heard a woodpecker drumming—the pileated, I felt sure. We walked up to the road and I searched for the bird, whose drumming seemed loud and nearby. Finally spotted it atop a utility pole. Got a better video of its territorial declarations.
Met up with some CMLT staff and friend Derek at the parking lot—they were about to do a habitat survey of the preserve—then hiked quickly back up and over the hill. Down in the woods, right where I thought it might happen, we flushed a woodcock on the muddy track. Then a second one. I’ll have to pay more attention down there next time through.
Northern Shrike.
This afternoon, a robin bounced around my little front lawn for hours.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:15 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. American Robin*
2. Downy Woodpecker
3. American Crow*
4. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
5. Mourning Dove*
6. Northern Cardinal**
7. Red-winged Blackbird†
8. Black-capped Chickadee*
9. Blue Jay (v)
10. White-throated Sparrow (v)
11. Herring Gull* (v)
12. Canada Goose (v)
13. Song Sparrow** (v)
14. Northern Shrike
15. Brown-headed Cowbird (v)
16. Common Grackle (v)
17. Pileated Woodpecker*
18. Dark-eyed Junco**
19. House Finch** (v)
20. American Goldfinch (v)
21. Tufted Titmouse** (v)
22. American Woodcock
Elsewhere
23. House Sparrow
24. Rock Dove
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, American woodcock, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, brown-headed cowbird, Canada goose, common grackle, dark-eyed junco, downy woodpecker, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern shrike, pileated woodpecker, red-winged blackbird, rock dove, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow
